Hand bag



P. COHE-N.

HAND BAG. APPLICATION FILED FEB, 16, 1921.

1,416,690. Patented May23,1922.

F A T KIT.

PHILIP COHEN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

HAND BAG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1922.

Application filed. February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445,300.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, PHILIP Cor-inn, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Elizabeth, county of Union, and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Bags, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved hand bag and is designed to besafer in carrying, that is, it is more difficult to enter the bag whenit is carried than the old type with the hinged frame members heldtogether by a clasp. The old style bags are often carried open for along time without the knowledge of the owner, and in many instances theyare opened and robbed without detection.

The improved bag herein set forth remedies to a great extent theobjections of the old style bag, and is also adapted to provide a noveland ornamental appearance. The bag also permits easy access when it isdesired to open the bag, and it shuts without manipulation as the lid inthe frame can be arranged to swing shut automatically when released.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective View of a bag made according to my invention.Figure 2 is a side view, slightly smaller, showing the bag open. Figure3 is a perspective of one type of frame, and Figure 4 is a detail viewshowing a manner of lockingthe lid.

In the drawing the main or body portion 10 of the bag is .made of anysuitable material and can be of mesh or of fabric usually employed inthe manufacture of these bags, and the frame is shown at 11. The bodyportion of the bag has a long side and a short side, the frame beingadapted to form a panel at the top part of the short side; in fact, toform a part of said side when the bag is in normal position or when itis carried, the frame providin a handy element for attachment of thehandle. This frame can be of any desired form, but is preferablyrectangular and is substantially rigid, having a flange 12 all aroundits edge, to which flange is attached the body portion 10, the framehaving its opening provided with a closure, such as the lid 13, althoughany suitable form of closure can be installed in the frame.

The lid 13 is pivoted, as at 14, to the sides of the frame and ispreferably pivoted at one end so that the other end, that is, the endthat swings away from the bag, is the heaviest end, as at 15, which, aswill be seen from Figure 2, will drop in place when it is released, butwhich is easily held open while the hand of the wearer is inserted in.the bag.

If desired, the inner face of the lid can be provided with accessories,such as memorandum pads, vanity mirrors and similar articles, as will beseen from Figure 3.

Suitable stops can be provided for limit ing the inward movement orswinging of the lid 13, one form being illustrated by the stop 16,against which the lid is adapted to rest. A suitable manually operatedlatch can be installed, if desired, one form being shown in Figure 4, inwhich an eye 17 is arranged on the frame and another eye 18 is arrangedon the lid, and a bolt 19, with a split end on its inner end and aprojecting handle 20 on its outer end, provides a positive means forlocking the lid in position. Such locking means, however, is notessential for holding the lid shut under normal conditions, since theframe is preferably suspended vertically, that is edgewise, one form ofaccomplishing this being by securing the handle 21 to the corners of theframe, as at 22.

It will be seen from Figure 1 that in this device the frame and the lidform a panel and form the upper part of one side of the bag which cannot accidentally open, except to the very slightest extent, if at all,and the appearance of the bag is novel. There is a margin of safetyagainst depredation by pickpockets, since the bag can be carried, ifdesired, with the frame toward the wearer so that it is not accessiblefor opening from the outer side.

The frame and the lid can be suitably ornamented and different shapescan be devised in addition to the one that is shown, which will bewithin the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A hand bag with a short side and a long side and having a frame witha hinged lid therein, said frame being disposed so as to be suspended asthe top part of the short side of the bag when the bag is carried. f

2. A handbag having a frame with a closure, said frame having the bodyof the bag attached thereto, and a handle secured to the frame so thatthe frame is suspended vertically from the handle to form the top partof one side of thebag;

3. ,A hand bag havinga frame with aclosure, said frame having the bodyof the so. that one end is moved inward when the a lidisr tilted,flexible material forming the body of the bag and secured to the frame,and a handle for suspending the frame edgewise-so that it forms a panelat the top of i one side of the bag, the material at the top of theother side acting to prevent inward swinging of one end of the lid tohold the lid shut when the bag is so suspended,

6. Aihand bag comprising a flexible body portion, a rectangular rigidframe to which the body portion is secured, a lid pivoted atone end tothe frame and normally swinging to, close the openingiin the frame, and

a handle secured to the frame. so that the frame.issuspended verticallyvand forms the upper part of one side of the bag.

In testimonyv that I '"elaimthe foregoing, I have hereto set my hand,this 15th day of-February, 1921.

PHILIP COHEN.

